Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-11-12

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Merit second her tau and 1rillOlCD form
. staggering back across the room.
wheeled round, and pointing to the girl Us
tame, said one word, and one only, but it
was quite enough, for the tone in which it
was said meant volumes.
Cop
And s~ullenly Ustane crept past her on
her hands and knees, and went.
Thou seest, my Holly" said Ayesha,
with n little laugh, cit was time that |
gave these people n lesson in obedience.
The girl went nigh to disobeying me, but
then she did not learn this morning
how / treat the disobedient. Well, she
has gone; and now let me see the youth"
md she glided toward the couch on which
Leo lay, with his face in the shadow and
turned TO the wall.
"He hath n noble shape" she said as
she bent over him to look upon his face.
Next second her tall and willowy form
was staggering back across the room, as
though she had been shot or stabbed, stag
gering back till at last she struck the
cavern wall, and then there burst from
her lips the most awful and unearthly
scream hat l ever heard In all my life.
"What is it, Ayesha?" l cried. "Is he
deadP"
She turned, and sprang toward me like a
tigress.
'Thou dog" she said, in her terrible
whisper, which sounded like the hiss of a
snake; "why didst thou hide this from
me?" and she stretched out her arm, and
l thought she was going to slav me.
whats" / calculated, in the most lively
te~yror-"what?"
"Ah!' she said, "perchance thou didst
not know. Learn, my Holly, learn; there
lies-there lies my lost Kallikrates. Kali
kratss, who has come back to me at last,
az l knew he would-as l knew he would"
and she began TO sob and to laugh, and
generally to go on like any other lady who
Is a little upset, murmuring "Kallikrates,
Kallikrates."
Nonsense" thought l to myself. but /
did not like TO say it; and, indeed, at that
moment | was thinking of Leo's life, nav
ing forgotten everything else in that terri
BILE anxiety. What I feared now was that
he should die whilst she was carrying on"
"Unless thou canst help him, Ayesha,"
I put in, by way of a reminder, THY Kali
krates will soon be far beyond thy calling.
Surely he dieth even now"
'True," she said, with n start. ooh,
why did mot come before? lam unnerved
my hand trembles, even mine-and yet
1t is very easy. Here, thou Holly, a
this phial," and she produced n tiny jar of
pottery from the folds of her garment,
land pour the liquid in it down lis throat.
1t will cure him If he be not dead. Swift!
now, swift the man diesv'
! glanced toward him; it was true enough,
Leo was in his death-struggle. | saw his
poor face turning ashen, and the breath
began to rattle in his throat. The vial
was stoppered with a little piece Of wood.
/ drew it with my teeth, and a drop Of the
fluid within flew upon my tongue. IL had
a sweet flavor, and for u second made my
head swim and n mist gather before my
eyes, but happily the effect passed away as
swiftly as it had arisen.
When / reached Leo's side he was plainly
exp.ring-his golden head was slowly turn
ting from side to side, and his mouth was
slightly open. I called to Ayesha TO hold
his head, and this she managed to do,
though the woman was qutvering from
head to foot, like an aspen leaf or a startled
horse. Then, forcing the jaw a little more
SRoht okAS viz Va t'N
bis mouth. Instantly n little vapor arose
from it, as happens when one disturbs nitric
acid, and this sight lid not increase my
hopes, already faint enough, of the efficacy
OF the treatment
One thing. however, was certain, the
death throes ceased-at first l thought be-
Case he had got beyond them, and crossed
the awful river. His face turned a livid
peior, and his heart beats, which had been
feeble enough before, seemed TO die away
altogether-oply the eyelid still twitched a
little. In my doubt / looked up at Ayesha,
whose head-wrapping had slipped back in
her excitement when she went reel!ng
across the room. She was still holding
Ieo's head, and with n face as pale as his,
watching his countenance, with such an
expression Of agonized anxiety as / have
never seen before. Clearly she did not
know If he would live or die. Five minute
passed, and / saw that she was abandoning
hope; her lovely oval face seemed to fall
In and grow visibly thinner beneath the
pressure GA mental agony, whose pencil
drew black lines about the hollows Of her
eyes. The coral faded even from her lips,
till they were rs white as Leo's face, and
quivered pitifully. 1t was shocking TO see
her, even In my own grief | felt for hers.
SIS it too later" / gasped.
She hid her face in her hands, and made
no answer, and j, too, turned away. But
as | did so / heard q deep-drawn breath,
and looking down perceived a line of color
creeping up Leo's face, then another and
another, and t~hen-wonder Of wonders
the man we had thought dead turned over
on his side.
"Thou ~seest," I said, in a whisper.
81 see" she answered, hoarsely. III y
saved. / thought we were too late; anoth-
er monochrome little moment more-and